Style and Life

Area Redux

Cleo Wade, Jeremy Kost, and Mia Moretti
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"I'm leaving—it's reaching critical mass in there," Glenn O'Brien said as he made his way out of The Hole gallery on the Bowery last night. Indeed, the art and fashion sets had turned out in full force to relive the wild days of New York's iconic Area nightclub, which has been re-created as an art installation for the week. (The exhibit accompanies the new 368-page book Area: 1983-1987 by the club's co-owners Eric Goode and Jennifer Goode.)

Inside, guests such as Jeffrey Deitch—who helmed the art project along with Hole founder Kathy Grayson—Mario Sorrenti, and Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis discovered artwork made for the nightclub by the likes of Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close. They also found a re-creation of those infamous unisex bathrooms (which also doubled as the bar).

"People would do drugs and have sex in those bathrooms, but to be honest, you didn't even really have to go in the bathroom to do that," said photographer Patrick McMullan, after pausing to check out an old portrait series of himself, Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. "I sure hope no one tries to use the plumbing in these bathrooms, because it doesn't work," added Eric Goode. As for the naked performance artists running around the party, Goode said, "I don't know anything about those, I'm as surprised as you are."

— Kristin Tice Studeman

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Tilda's Big Night

David Bowie and Tilda Swinton
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"She's not a fashion person. She's an actress and clothes look great on her," explained Karl Lagerfeld of his longtime friend, muse, and collaborator Tilda Swinton. "I've known her for twenty years, and what's surprising is that her personality hasn't been affected: She's always looked modern avant-garde. She's as modern today as she was twenty years ago."

Lagerfeld was speaking about Swinton from the entrance of MoMA's rose-lined tribute to the actress, an event that brought in the likes of David Bowie, Sofia Coppola, Jessica Biel, Wes Anderson, and Iman. It was a Chanel-sponsored party—with no shortage of KL creations (Karlie Kloss, in jet-black Alexander Wang, was one exception) and no skimping on praise for the honoree, who happened to be celebrating her 53rd birthday in a cream-and-pearl-white pantsuit straight from the label's new collection.

"It's my birthday, and they're throwing me a party!" exclaimed Swinton upon arrival, moments later. What could be better? The fete, complete with a performance by electro-pop sensation Lorde that gave way to an elegant dinner, culminated with a rose-pink cake for the strawberry-blond siren.

"She stands alone because of who she is," related Ralph Fiennes. "In the end, actors are who they are; what's inside them defines them. And I think we're all here tonight because we recognize that she has a unique quality—not only as a woman but as an actress, as an artist. She has something special."

— Ashley Simpson

Sweet Georgia May

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Innovate or Die

Karlie Kloss, Valentino Garavani, and Gisele Bündchen
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Last night's WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards drew many of fashion's most creative minds, at least one of whom admitted he was hoping to get a little inspiration from the other talents in the room. "There are some great artists and architects here tonight," Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa told Style.com. "No matter the craft, for me, innovation is about restlessness. It's about looking forward, looking further, never back."

The relationships between honorees and their presenters connected the worlds the ceremony was trying to bridge. Landscape architect Thomas Woltz, one of the forces behind New York's Hudson Yards development, was given the Design Innovator award by his longtime friend, the designer Thom Browne. Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner handed the Technology Innovator award to Nick D'Aloisio, who sold his Summly app to Yahoo, in March, for an estimated $30 million. And André Leon Talley presented Pat McGrath with the Fashion Innovator award for her numerous contributions to the beauty industry.

Pharrell Williams took the stage to introduce Daft Punk for their Entertainment Innovator award, saying, "I got the opportunity to work with these guys, which was amazing, because they really are robots." After playing a video acceptance speech as if they weren't able to make it, Daft Punk took the stage, escorted by their WSJ. co-cover star, Gisele Bündchen. The duo received their statues, gave a cool nod, and disappeared as quickly as they came. As for Bündchen, she said, "I never considered myself an innovator necessarily. I just try to live my life every day, every moment, to the best I can. Life is such a gift!"

Balmain's Olivier Rousteing agreed. "Tonight is why I love coming to New York. There are no boundaries, and the people here love what is really new. It's a big machine—you can really make your dreams come true here."

— Todd Plummer

The Quiet American

Phillip Lim hasn't had the fanfare that's attended some of his higher-profile peers in New York. That hasn't stopped him from building a business that's taking over the worldBy Chris Wallace. Photographs by Isa Wipfli.Published November 08, 2013Continued (Page of ) .lower

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Upward Spiral

Sidney Toledano and Raf Simons
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If the Spring ’14 collections are any indication, fashion loves art—but does art love fashion? "I think the two worlds can't quite resist each other!" offered Stella Tennant at the Guggenheim last night, where the creative spheres intersected during the museum's Dior-underwritten annual gala. Hosted by honorary chairs Raf Simons and Dior CEO Sidney Toledano in the Guggenheim's spiraling Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda, the dinner was held in honor of artists James Turrell, whose blockbuster exhibition of light installations attracted over 500,000 visitors earlier this year, and Christopher Wool, whose retrospective is currently on view. "I don't actually know a lot about it," offered Wool of the fashion-art crossover. Turrell, likewise, was genuinely surprised to learn that his work served as the inspiration for Calvin Klein Collection's latest menswear range. "How did that work out?" he chuckled ("Pretty damn well!" we told him).

As the evening progressed and the likes of Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Cindy Sherman, and Leelee Sobieski happily mingled between courses of mushroom salad and filet mignon, it seemed that the two worlds (with a dash of Hollywood as a buffer) were getting on famously. Jeff Koons drew parallels between the practices. "Fashion is a curiosity about our internal life and our external world. So are the fine arts—and that's wonderful," he said. Willy Vanderperre, too, felt they were on the same plane. "Fashion and art are both a reflection of the times," he proposed. But it still seems that the fashion types owe the art world quite a debt. "Art is the ultimate inspiration," proclaimed Olivier Rizzo. "It's where designers find their creativity!" concurred Gaia Repossi—who, in addition to crafting jewelry, is also a painter.

Perhaps the most profound statement, though, came from Raf Simons, who, as Toledano explained, was the driving force behind the Dior-Guggenheim partnership. "It all started with art for me when I was 15 or 16," said the designer. "Jan Hoet, a famous Belgian curator from a city close to where I lived, curated Documenta when I was a kid, and that left a massive mark. It awakened my interest very strongly," he recalled. "But it's not just that art plays a role in my creative process. Art is the ultimate. I couldn't really live without it." That may be true, but after watching last night's gaggle of Dior-clad women float across the floor in their often embellished, sculptural gowns, we'd have to argue that Mr. Simons is at least a bit of an artist himself.

— Katharine K. Zarrella